Kazakhstan launches oil refining strategy to 2040 with $5bn in investments

Kazakhstan adopts an ambitious roadmap to develop its refining and petrochemical industry, targeting 30% exports and $5bn in investments by 2040.

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90$/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90$/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 $/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99$/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 $/year from the second year.

The government of Kazakhstan has approved a long-term development strategy for its oil refining industry covering the period from 2025 to 2040. This approach aims to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness in response to shifts in the global energy market, relying on sustained domestic demand growth and expanded export opportunities.

Clear objectives for production and export

Authorities have stated that the primary focus is full supply of the local market with high-quality petroleum products, responding to expected consumption growth of 1.5 to 2% per year. This increase is driven by urbanisation and industrial development. At the same time, the strategy aims to raise the share of exports in total production, setting a target for foreign sales to reach 30% of refined volumes by 2040, with particular attention to China, India, and Central Asian countries.

Development of the petrochemical sector

The plan also covers the development of the petrochemical and gas sector, notably through the creation of new value chains for the production of polymers and fertilisers. Cumulative investments in this field could reach up to $5bn (approximately KZT2,379.4bn) according to preliminary official estimates. This aspect aims to increase local added value and support employment through intensified sector industrialisation.

Partnerships and openness to international investment

The strategy emphasises improving the regulatory framework, strengthening local expertise, and fostering partnerships with international companies for technology exchange. The stated objective is to make Kazakhstan more attractive for foreign investment while enhancing the country’s economic resilience to oil price volatility on global markets. The Ministry of Energy highlights the significance of this regional positioning, focusing on a transition from a resource-export model to one based on high-technology industry.

The ministry indicates that this roadmap is designed to help better anticipate international market fluctuations, while contributing to the growth of the national manufacturing sector.

The United Kingdom is set to replace the Energy Profits Levy with a new fiscal mechanism, caught between fairness and simplicity, as the British Continental Shelf continues to decline.
The Italian government is demanding assurances on fuel supply security before approving the sale of Italiana Petroli to Azerbaijan's state-owned energy group SOCAR, as negotiations continue.
The Dangote complex has halted its main gasoline unit for an estimated two to three months, disrupting its initial exports to the United States.
Rosneft Germany announces the resumption of oil deliveries to the PCK refinery, following repairs to the Druzhba pipeline hit by a drone strike in Russia that disrupted Kazakh supply.
CNOOC has launched production at the Wenchang 16-2 field in the South China Sea, supported by 15 development wells and targeting a plateau of 11,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2027.
Viridien and TGS have started a new 3D multi-client seismic survey in Brazil’s Barreirinhas Basin, an offshore zone still unexplored but viewed as strategic for oil exploration.
Taiwan accuses China of illegally installing twelve oil structures in the South China Sea, fuelling tensions over disputed territorial sovereignty.
Chevron has reached a preliminary agreement with Angola’s national hydrocarbons agency to explore block 33/24, located in deep waters near already productive zones.
India increased its purchases of Russian oil and petroleum products by 15% over six months, despite new US trade sanctions targeting these transactions.
Indonesia will finalise a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union by year-end, paving the way for expanded energy projects with Russia, including refining and natural gas.
Diamondback Energy announced the sale of its 27.5% stake in EPIC Crude Holdings to Plains All American Pipeline for $500 million in cash, with a potential deferred payment of $96 million.
Reconnaissance Energy Africa continues drilling its Kavango West 1X exploration well with plans to enter the Otavi reservoir in October and reach total depth by the end of November.
TotalEnergies has signed a production sharing agreement with South Atlantic Petroleum for two offshore exploration permits in Nigeria, covering a 2,000 square kilometre area with significant geological potential.
Nigeria’s Dangote refinery shipped 300,000 barrels of gasoline to the United States in late August, opening a new commercial route for its fuel exports.
Saudi and Iraqi exporters halted supplies to Nayara Energy, forcing the Rosneft-controlled Indian refiner to rely solely on Russian crude in August.
BW Offshore has been chosen by Equinor to supply the FPSO unit for Canada’s Bay du Nord project, marking a key milestone in the advancement of this deepwater oil development.
Heirs Energies doubled production at the OML 17 block in one hundred days and aims to reach 100,000 barrels per day, reinforcing its investment strategy in Nigeria’s mature oil assets.
Budapest plans to complete a new oil link with Belgrade by 2027, despite risks of dependency on Russian flows amid ongoing strikes on infrastructure.
TotalEnergies and its partners have received a new oil exploration permit off Pointe-Noire, strengthening their presence in Congolese waters and their strategy of optimising existing infrastructure.
India’s oil minister says Russian crude imports comply with international norms, as the United States and European Union impose new sanctions.

Log in to read this article

You'll also have access to a selection of our best content.